Sweet but complex nose: root beer, slight grape, brown sugar, vanilla, and white chocolate. But the most prominent, character-defining note (I kid you not) is the white candy stick found in a pouch of Fun Dip. Look it up if you didn't have a childhood; basically a hard sugary vanilla candy. The palate: a lot more vanilla with sweet tobacco, freshly-brewed sweet tea, sweet orange (it's a rather sweet rum), and then banana. This further evolves into mango first, and then plum midpalate, followed by banana candy. The marching development of these flavors is exquisite, and the secondary notes are just like experiencing the flavors of some tropical candy one after the other. There is very little change in the underlying heat or texture, only the flavors. The empty glass has a strong scent of vanilla extract and somehow nothing else, a technological marvel really. I've heard that Zaya used to be a lot better "back in the day", when the bottle had real rope around the neck, etc., and that this version is a terrible representation of its former glory. But if this is what rum past its prime tastes like, then I need to try more rum!